Anisse's Writings
History of Alterra Prehistory - Rise and Fall of the Draconic Kingdoms As my Seekers return with more and more of the Old World’s lore for me to dissect, it is becoming increasingly clear in my eyes that the beings worshipped as our Phoenix Gods today, Lunos and Helos, were once actual figures in Alterran history. The priesthood has held this claim for centuries, of course, but as a necessary element of compiling this history, I must operate under the assumption that all things -- up to and including the existence of gods -- are subject to reasonable doubt. As of this writing, however, what texts I have received that describe early draconic society indicate multiple god-king figures: actual beings claiming divinity and deific right to rule. Among these god-kings are four chief individuals, each with unique titles and radically different philosophies: the so-called “platinum dragon” Bahamut (whose worship is still common in Ahdni’daht), the Queen of Dragons called Tiamat, Helos the All-Birther, and -- alarmingly different from his modern portrayal -- the All-Ender, Lunos. Others are hinted to have ruled in previous millennia; the personal diaries recovered from Tourmaline thus far make oblique references to a benevolent healer-goddess called Tamara, and an overarching, grand ruler of the so-called Draconic Pantheon, Io, whose form is said to be so large that it encircles the Great Ring itself (likely an exaggeration born of oral tradition). Also noteworthy among these names is Sardior, whose worship persists today as a patron god of psions -- a transition highly worth investigating, considering that no dragons were known to have exhibited signs of psionic power save for those native to the Outer Planes. If these dragons survive today, Alterra has not seen the effects of their influence. The contested existence of psion-dragons notwithstanding, there seems to be little to no actual involvement in prehistoric events by other “deities” beyond the chief four, so I will focus my efforts on only them for now. Based on texts recovered from the restored Tourmaline, I posit that the analogue figures to our modern Helos and Lunos did not factor into the draconic kingdoms’ development until centuries after their initial establishment, and the reasons for this supposition are manifold: Firstly, the nomenclature. This early period of draconic history is referred to (in as accurate a translation as I can manage) as the Exodus from the Forgotten Realms, during which the dragons forsook some previous dominion in favor of then-unclaimed Alterra. The cause of this exodus -- and, indeed, where beyond the Scorched Expanse these Forgotten Realms lie, if the land still exists in any form -- is yet unknown, but I am hopeful that my contact in Stormholde (Doctor Talasin, whose aid in reconstructing much of the lost history contained herein was invaluable) will be able to unearth additional texts from Pearl. A supposed “History of the Broodfathers” is known to exist, and its contents are likely to contain references to this era, but the fragments in my possession are inadequate save for a handful. What intact texts dating to this time I have been able to retrieve make no mention of either Helos or Lunos, nor even treat Bahamut or Tiamat’s names with the religious air that later works use. Cross-referencing these texts with the draconic hierarchy outlined in research fragment 7B (see above) leads me to conclude that these dragons, in absence of prophet-ruler figures to deliver divine commands, ruled from much more mundane thrones than the zealous give credit to. Category:Lore Category:Firebird Category:Texts